Unlike swarming killer bees that rush out of their hive to defend it and attack aggressively, swarming termites fly out because they want to mate and find new homes. Certain environmental conditions trigger winged termites to fly from their nest, find a mate, go find new nesting location, lay eggs and create a new colony.
A “swarm” is a dispersal flight of the winged termites. The termite swarm happens fast, with a large number of swarming termites, making it an unforgettable experience if it happens in your house. The fact is, swarming termites do not bite, they will not harm you, or damage your belongings, but, it is no doubt unpleasant.
Winged swarming termites emerge from cracks in your walls and foundation in large numbers. They can also come out though holes in the soil in your yard. They emerge through swarm tubes made by worker termites. Unfortunately for them, not every termite survives to form a new colony. A lot of them die from environmental conditions, or get eaten by predators like birds or other insects. Natural mating swarms usually occur during the spring when the weather gets warmer and we have more rain. They sometimes start swarming earlier if their food and/or water supplies run out.
If you are a witness to hundreds of swarming termites outside, turn off all exterior lighting to avoid attracting them to your home. This is an indication that there is a termite colony nearby, somewhere in your yard. If you find swarming termites inside your house then you have an infestation. Don’t panic! Swarms last approximately a half an hour, they may occur often during the next several days, and then they will stop. Don’t be fooled when it stops though because it’s not over. The swarmers may have finished mating but then they immediately begin developing new generations of termites in new nests in and around your homes. If you don’t fix the problem, you are ignoring the damage they are doing behind your walls and you will meet new swarmers next year.
If you think that you have swarming termites collect samples of the dead insects and call an exterminator. You will also end up with a massive collection of insect wings, because after they swarm and mate, they lose their wings and many of them die. After you collected the dead insects for your exterminator, use a vacuum cleaner to remove the rest. You can also use a vacuum cleaner to suck up the termites while they are swarming although you definitely won’t get all of them. If it is possible, make sure to note the exact locations from which the winged swarming termites first emerged. It may be difficult to find them emerging if you’re panicking about hundreds or more winged insects flying all over your home. Keep calm and realize that it’s important to find the entry location for your exterminator because the swarming will be over by the time he or she arrives.
Collecting specimens is important in order for the professionals to ensure that the insects are in fact termites and for them to treat your home or yard appropriately. As we’ve already established, reproducing termites create the swarm, but they do this to mate and create more worker termites which will continually eat wood all year. By having semi-annual termite inspections, you can avoid this problem all together. A pest control professional will inspect and identify any termite activity that you may have, treat any affected areas and prevent this from happening to you.
There is no homeowner who’s completely safe from the risk for termite infestation and other pest problems. Without a proper termite control or barrier in place, termites will always find their way into your home in search of food source and shelter to ensure their survival. It’s important to know that termites are active almost all year round so it’s best to always be prepared to keep swarms of flying termites away from your property.
So could a flying termite come from a neighbor’s house? You won’t necessarily get an infestation of flying termites from your neighbor. Professional pest control companies today can effectively kill a single termite colony without driving them to your property. However, there’s a chance that your home may be infected with termites since it could mean that the termites are already present within the vicinity of your community.
Can Termites Fly From Your Neighbor’s Home to Yours?
Termites are one of the most active pests that cause problems for many homeowners in the United States. In particular, the subterranean termite and the drywood termite are the two common termite species that infest homes. They’re also destructive and can cause significant termite damage that annually amounts to millions of dollars in damage and repair.
If you live in an area or state where these pests are widespread, there’s a high possibility that you and your neighbor will be a potential living space for termites. Even if you haven’t detected any sign of termite activity in your home, you should be on high alert if your neighbors have reported that they have a flying termite problem.
The preferred method of travel of termites is through the mud tubes that the worker termites create in the underground or along cracks inside the walls. Once they have established their colony in one house, they will stay put in that place and occasionally roam the area for food.
It’s during their peak swarming season that winged termites emerge from the colony and find a new location for their termite nest. A swarming termite may depart from their original colony to find their mate and then fly until they make their way to your home. If the living conditions in your property are desirable for them, they will land on your ground and enter your house through the gaps or holes in the foundation connected to the soil.
In most cases, your neighbors will call for a professional termite exterminator or pest control company to handle their termite infestation. They can choose among soil treatment, termite baiting system, or fumigation (termite tenting) to exterminate the termites in their property. The treatments are precise and they will kill the termites inside the house without pushing them away to your house.
What Should Be Your Next Step if Your Neighbor Has a Termite Infestation?
So you’ve discovered that your neighbor has recently gotten help from a pest control company to eliminate their termite issue. The best thing you can do is to check for any signs of flying termites swarm in your own home. Here are some of the most visible signs of termite presence:
- Severely damaged wood structures - Check your walls, furniture, or even flooring for any sign of structural damage or chewing done by termites. Drywood termites love to feed on cellulose which is found on many dry wood structures and surfaces.
- Shedded or discarded termite wings - Once these flying insects have found a location where they will build their colony, they will slough off their wings from their body. You can spot a small heap of wings on surfaces like window sills, corners, attics, and on the ground.
- Presence of mud tubes - A sign of subterranean termite infestation is the sighting of a mud tube or shelter tube along walls and foundation. Termites build mud tubes for the sole purpose of protection from other insect predators and it’s where they usually pass through when bringing food to their entire colony.
- Piles of termite droppings or frass - Termite frass or droppings are residuals of the wood that the termites have chewed or eaten. After consuming wood, they will push out the frass and leave them outside their nest.
- Hollow wood sounds - Wood furniture or surfaces that have been infested by termites will have a hollow or echoing sound. Tapping or knocking on the surface will help confirm if you have current termite activity.
- Noises inside the walls - If you listen closely or use a stethoscope to find termites inside walls, you can hear a rattling sound. Termites make this sound when they’re disturbed or threatened or when they’re munching on the wood.
If you have checked all these signs, the next thing you should do is to call a professional pest control company to do a thorough professional inspection of your home. They will help confirm that you have a termite attack and will pinpoint the exact location where they built their entire colony. The team will suggest the right termite solution that can help eliminate them and prevent further damage to your home.
Termite Swarms: Why They Happen and What You Should Do When You See One
There are different types of termites that may be causing a ruckus inside your home. The most common household termite species are the subterranean termites, formosan termites (also known as formosan subterranean termite), drywood termites, and dampwood termites. They all have distinct appearances but the one thing they have in common is their swarming activity.
To better understand why active termites swarm, you have to understand that termites are social insects and they follow a specific caste system within their colony. An active termite colony is usually comprised of the following:
- Reproductive termites - these are the king and queen termites, and they’re responsible for mating and building their colony.
- Worker termites - they’re the largest group in a colony and they often scavenge for food and help maintain the termite nest.
- Soldier termites - they’re essentially the guardians of the colony and they protect the queen from predators.
When a colony matures, winged termites or alates prepare to leave the colony. Termite swarmers usually come out at night and they’re drawn to areas with light. The swarm will last for several minutes to hours. Successful pairs of termites will look for a new suitable location for their colony and if you’re unlucky, they may decide to settle in your home. So if you find an ongoing swarming activity in the streets, you should switch off your lights to avoid luring them inside.
How to Control and Get Rid of Flying Termites for Good
It’s never too early or too late to put up termite prevention measures that will repel flying termites from your home. Here are some of the best practices to help termite-proof your surroundings:
- Seal any holes, cracks, and gaps where winged termites could enter from the outside.
- Keep any water drainage away from your home foundation and fix any leakage under the water pipes, roofs, and fixtures to prevent attracting termites to the moisture.
- Use a termite treatment such as termiticide or insecticide to kill termites within the vicinity of your home. With the help of an expert, you can create a termite barrier using termiticides to keep them away.
- Make sure to situate termite attractants such as stacks of firewood, tree stumps, and wood piles away from your home.
Eliminate Flying Termites and Other Household Pests With Positive Pest Management
When swarming termites get out of control, the smartest move is to entrust the safety of your home to the hands of pest management professionals. At Positive Pest Management, our pest control technicians have years of experience and expertise in effectively dealing with termites and other pests.
We offer safe and quality pest control services like inspections and exterminations to residents troubled by common household pests such as termites, bed bugs, roaches, mosquitoes, and flying ants. Our team will visit on-site to check your home and come up with the best solutions to get rid of termites for good. Call us now for a free quote and discuss a customized plan with our team for your termite control needs.